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33) "Ozma of Oz" - Baum
In which a chicken is smarter than Dorothy.
And pretty much everyone, actually. I don't know if I missed reading this one when I was a kid - I think I did, because I recall wondering how they'd gotten the Nome King's belt and where Billina had come from. Oh, and Billina the chicken always introduces herself as Bill, because that's how she was originally named, before anyone could tell which gender she was. She says she doesn't care what other people call her, but she still calls herself Bill. And she beats the shit out a rooster. Yeah, the chicken stole this book for me.
But I've also had a fondness for the Hungry Tiger forever, and it was interesting seeing him in his first appearance, though there was no backstory given for him at all.
But Ozma, in this story, has not given up her desire to have adventures! She hears that the royal family of Ev has been imprisoned by the Nome King and randomly decides she can go rescue them. That's kind of cool.
My word, isn't the background story of the royal family of Ev pretty horrendous? The King beats all his servants to death (!!) and then sells his entire family in a fit of pique (or alternately, to get a long life - it all depends who's telling the story, apparently) to the Nome King, and then commits suicide when he realizes he can't get them back. Good lord, so incredibly violent and dramatic.
In which a chicken is smarter than Dorothy.
And pretty much everyone, actually. I don't know if I missed reading this one when I was a kid - I think I did, because I recall wondering how they'd gotten the Nome King's belt and where Billina had come from. Oh, and Billina the chicken always introduces herself as Bill, because that's how she was originally named, before anyone could tell which gender she was. She says she doesn't care what other people call her, but she still calls herself Bill. And she beats the shit out a rooster. Yeah, the chicken stole this book for me.
But I've also had a fondness for the Hungry Tiger forever, and it was interesting seeing him in his first appearance, though there was no backstory given for him at all.
But Ozma, in this story, has not given up her desire to have adventures! She hears that the royal family of Ev has been imprisoned by the Nome King and randomly decides she can go rescue them. That's kind of cool.
My word, isn't the background story of the royal family of Ev pretty horrendous? The King beats all his servants to death (!!) and then sells his entire family in a fit of pique (or alternately, to get a long life - it all depends who's telling the story, apparently) to the Nome King, and then commits suicide when he realizes he can't get them back. Good lord, so incredibly violent and dramatic.